President Barack Obama waves to supporters after his victory speech at McCormick Place November 6, 2012 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

CHICAGO—President Barack Obama phoned congressional leaders late last night and this morning to talk about the legislative agenda and urged leaders in both parties to “put aside their partisan interests,” the White House said.

The White House said he focused on economic matters, including deficit reduction, taxes and jobs creation. The most immediate issue on the agenda is how to avoid the “fiscal cliff,” the tax increases and spending cuts scheduled to kick in next year unless Congress intervenes.

Mr. Obama, re-elected Tuesday to a second term, will face a Republican House and Democratic Senate, just as he has for the last two years.

The White House said the president phoned House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, both Republicans, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, his Democratic allies.

“The president reiterated his commitment to finding bipartisan solutions to reduce our deficit in a balanced way, cut taxes for middle class families and small businesses and create jobs,” the White House said. “The president said he believed that the American people sent a message in yesterday’s election that leaders in both parties need to put aside their partisan interests and work with common purpose to put the interests of the American people and the American economy first.”

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